Youth Advocate

$17.00 - $20.00/hourly

Position Summary:

The Youth Advocate will work with chronically absent youth to address barriers to consistent daily attendance at The Fairmont Neighborhood Community School. The Youth Advocate will support students by designing individualized interventions which support academic and socio-emotional needs. The Youth Advocate will help to identify the causes of poor attendance and collaborate with internal and external service partners to seek solutions and encourage meaningful engagement in school for students and families.

Essential Duties:

• Understand and promote the organization's Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with organizational policies and procedures.
• Have a caseload of 15-20 youth and are matched with their mentees for a full year.
• Meet with mentees regularly, both one-one and in small groups, to check in on how school is going and listen to youth's needs.
• Provide tiered interventions to promote attendance for their assigned grade.
• Meet and greet matched youth each morning/afternoon when they arrive at school or program site; make early morning phone calls to absent students.
• Track and monitor attendance data of the students in their grade and celebrate improvements.
• Keep up to date and accurate notes about youth attendance patterns, needs and interventions.
• Work with school and site leadership to identify appropriate interventions to support and engage the mentee.
• Provide light case management (assess the need and strengths of a student and plan interventions)
• Seek advice and identify target source of youth or family support from appropriate school staff and community-based partners under the direction of the Site Director.
• Communicate regularly with Directors or other designated Children's Aid personnel regarding needs and supplies to support chronically absent youth.
• Attend (or be represented at) weekly student success mentor meetings to share best practices or challenges and to present a summary of how youth are doing.
• Lead weekly clubs for students who are chronically absent.
• Help create a safe and fun learning environment, by working with groups of youth to develop and maintain an effective system of classroom management that encourages children to develop prosocial behavior and self-discipline.
• Provide tutoring using a web-based reading intervention for struggling readers. (I ready, Lighting Squad)
• Lead Parent attendance workshops on a monthly basis. (Meet with cohort teachers and each grade has parent event)
• Documentation: PowerPoint, messaging, attendance, and activity.
• Available to start in October.
• Meet with teachers and/or other school personnel to create a plan for mentees.
• Provide classroom support to teachers.
• Build strong relationships with the students, families, and colleagues you work with.
• Be a positive role model for the students.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Highschool Diploma or Associate's Degree.

Key Competencies:

• Highly effective in motivating, stimulating, and engaging students around academic and personal success.
• Highly organized and able to demonstrate sound judgment.
• Detail oriented and an effective listener.
• Strong and consistent communication skills.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not to tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children's Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children's Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children's Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.